Re: Suppliers for Tetex/Stabiltex

[Jenny Barnett <andelos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jerry Shiner wrote:

> I found a number of suppliers of Stabiltex when I used my "Copernic"
> meta-search engine to do a quick web search. I mention the screen fabric
> because it seems that it might be a useful and less expensive alternative
> in some cases. Has anyone ever used it?
>

I have sometimes used "vitrage", the sheer/transparent, plain weave, polyester
fabric used for front curtains. It is a heavier weight and the color range is
limited to cream, white and optical white (once I found it in black!), so it is
not suitable for lightweight applications. It has been used as a loose lining
behind canvas paintings and I have used it similarly for mounting modern
embroideries on stretcher frames. The yarn makes a thicker, softer and less
difficult to use sewing thread than Tetex yarn. It is available in broad widths,
up to 3 meters perhaps more. This makes a good, non water absorbent, dust cover
for large textiles which take a long time to dry after washing, e.g.. tapestries
and carpets. It can absorb some water soluble coloring from wet textiles, which
is a handy indicator! These discolorations usually wash out easily. Vitrage is
also a good, smooth, in-between layer if the usual cotton dust cover is not
smooth enough to be in contact with a textile under treatment (anything to avoid
the tedious wrestle with sheets of tissue paper!).

Also, Tetex is just one of many fabrics made to function as sieves or filters.
It is inspiring to see the full range as there are many potential uses for
textile conservation, e.g., strong, lightweight, semi-transparent and fairly
stiff  weaves which can be used to support draped or softly folded textiles on
display. One of my students used such a fabric as a local stitched support layer
under a damaged, fine straw bonnet.

It would seem indeed more sensible to invest time in finding the next best thing
in your own country, as Jerry suggests with his remark about screen printing
fabrics. My suggestion is then to search for manufacturers of sieving and
filtering materials. Also, there are more and more potentially useful, light
weight, polyester fashion fabrics to be found. I recently used a light blue,
Textex looking fabric with a subtle, broken glistening which worked beautifully
as a patch on a silk damask shoe covering.

About expense: perhaps it is useful to explain why.
Of course these fabrics are not cheap because they are high quality industrial
products and that is what we want. They become "too" expensive due to the mark
up from the middle person. That is their right because they have to import and
pay for large quantities of expensive material which is not immediately sold to
recompense the initial expense (cost per bulk meter, import taxes, sales tax,
shipping costs, international bank charges, storage space). In other words, they
have thousands of dollars worth of material lying around gathering dust waiting
for someone to order one or two meters. This is why the meter price mark-up is
often significant: the compensation for the financial inconvenience comes on top
of the profit they have to make with each sale. It fact, it is very convenient
service for which which we should gratefully pay. Well, as long as the middle
person does not get greedy! And that they take the trouble to learn how to cut
Tetex in a straight line!!

Applying this economic fact to ourselves (in particular private conservators),
the financially aware textile conservator knows that it is bad economics to
invest in large supplies of materials unless they are going to be used (and paid
for) quickly.  Otherwise your hard earned money is sitting on the shelf taking
up valuable space and you cannot use it when you need it. Also important, as
conservators, I believe that we should not use old material, no matter how
thrifty it may seem. Polyester is probably an exception because it is so
durable. The quality of old material is poorer and it confuses the material
evidence for the future - was this object treated in 1950 or 1990? Is this an
"original" repair or a conservation treatment? The treatment report does not
always stay with the object.

Jenny Barnett
Andelos Textielrestauratie
Oude Looiersstraat 65-67
1016 VH Amsterdam
NETHERLANDS
tel/fax 00 31 (0)20 427 18 27
andelos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx